Sunday, October 31, 2010

How to keep your baby warm in the car

You read that coats are not safe for children in carseats. But what about your baby that goes in and out of the car in her seat? How do you keep her warm? You have several options, and some are better than others.

Many Moms love the JJ Cole Bundle Me. It has a plush bottom layer that goes under the baby, in the carseat. The bottom layer has vertical cut outs for the harness to come through, then you buckle Baby, then there's another plush layer that goes over top of Baby. Sounds warm and toasty, right? Sounds dangerous to me. There are 2 problems with the Bundle Me.

1- The bottom layer can compress in a crash, leaving the harness too loose. You don't want anything plush between baby and the carseat.

2- The vertical cut outs can prevent the harness from laying properly on Baby's shoulders. If the harness isn't laying properly, there's a potential for injury.

So, is the poor baby left to freeze going from the house to the car? No! Fear not, I always have other options for you :)

Option 1- Carseat cover. It is a cover that goes over the top of the carseat, and zips up the front. It does not go behind Baby, and it doesn't even come close to touching the harness.

Option 2- Blankets. Tuck blankets around Baby to keep her warm and toasty.

Option 3- Polar Fleece. Just like I suggested using a fleece for your older child, you can use a fleece for baby too. Lands End, LL Bean, Columbia, just to name a few, all make a polar fleece that will keep baby warm, without adding bulk.

Opton 4- Cut the back out of the Bundle Me. If you cut the back off, it won't be under Baby, and it won't interfere with the harness.

Now, just remember that as the heater in the car warms up, Baby may overheat. She can't regulate her temperature as well as adults can. So keep that in mind when you're deciding which option to use.

1 comment:

Hi,Just found your blog. FWIW, I live in Iowa and both of my children were born in the dead of winter (January and February). I never had a problem keeping my children warm, and never put them in winter coats. When they were small, I had them in warm infant clothing and kept fleece blankets in the car to tuck around them. My babies were in convertible seats from the beginning, so I took them out of the carseat to go in and out of places. Then, I would wear them in a baby sling and zip my winter coat (I hung on to my maternity winter coat for this purpose) around their bodies. Worked great.

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I do not necessarily endorse any ads seen on this page. They are chosen by Google, not me. I have heard there have been ads for carseat covers, which are NOT safe to use. If you have any questions about something seen in the ads, please feel free to ask carseatnanny @ yahoo . com